Tribunal To Examine Alleged Welfare Imbalance

Tribunal To Examine Alleged Welfare Imbalance

Monday, September 14, 2009 at 14:03

A complaint over child welfare payments on-reserve has found its way to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Starting today, the tribunal will examine the question of whether or not the federal government is discriminatory in the way it funds First Nations child welfare agencies.

The Assembly of First Nations and a social agency from Ontario launched the complaint two years ago.

According to those two groups, the average child on-reserve receives 22 per cent less child welfare funding than the same child living in the city.

They also claim the government has known about the shortfall for nine years, but has done little to improve the situation.